You're watching...
Tom Ruskin and Dr. Michael Baden weigh in on lessons learned from Connecticut shooting
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- I wanna bring in doctor Michael -- now former pathologist and former chief medical examiner.
In New York City as well as Tom Ruskin who is a former NYPD.
Detective doctor Baden -- wanna come to you first if -- -- The medical examiner has -- told to back at the horrific.
Nature.
Of that scene the first responders have talked about the horrific nature of the scene that they came across when they -- to that school.
On Friday Bill -- And -- here was talking.
-- -- a former marine who was one of the first call to get that just 25 years old.
Seen a lot obviously in Afghanistan had never seen anything like that.
How.
Do those people cope with the ball they seen I know they've had training but you cannot be trained for something like.
Actual well what happens actually is that.
Doctor carver is an old time medical examiner has been around thirty years.
He's seen lots of tragic situations never this many children that one's.
Our role -- medical examiners is to try and understand why a person died.
And to be able would give that information.
To the family and to society is in the murder cases.
We see the children if -- -- dead in the and that many pain or suffering.
It's harder.
-- for parents who see that child every day.
And hostile and I was at Bellevue hospital New York I felt worse when I took care of a cancer patient dying that I was.
Couldn't help.
And so the patient every day and empathize with the patience.
Pain and suffering.
The one thing that the medical examiner has to do is to.
-- that he or she has to study what's going to be useful.
Who this parents for society.
To be able to get the the remains.
To the family in a very timely fashion.
And focus on that so I think that the emotional part of it isn't -- great for medical examiners as it might be floor.
You know Bill Hemmer others.
At police who -- has seen this kind of tragedy before.
Yet -- let me bring in Tom Ruskin former NYPD officer here.
Tom what we heard on Friday when we first got up here.
Stories of -- some of the fire fighters from this fire has here and the cops who -- staff as quickly as they possibly could.
Going into that scene and then leaving it in -- hard to imagine how ever hard -- you are as a cult.
To have to see something like that.
As a cop there is nothing more tragic -- when you lose a young person.
I can honestly say in all my years in police work.
I know the cops respond quicker.
When is -- young person involved they respond quickly in any case.
Felicia young person -- -- -- more urgency.
And to save those people is more urgency.
The overwhelming feeling.
Of those cops and first responders.
And firefighters who are going you -- there.
And realizing that there's nothing that they can do and it's now a crime scene will live with them forever I remember as a cop.
114.
Year old girl who I lost.
In route to the hospital and its live would -- to this day.
That's why I'm discussing it today I can imagine and -- and -- need counseling and we're gonna have to look.
-- how we're gonna -- them as best we can but it is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
Are -- just wanted to remind of view is that talking of the victims are ought to funerals going.
On today no oppose -- and -- -- both age six years old we are also awaiting.
Right now the latest news conference from lieutenant balance of the Connecticut state police.
He updated us -- and not a lot of new information on the investigation will see what he has to say we will of course.
Bring that to you lied during this out coming back to you doctor -- what.
What that meant the look of the medical examiner.
In this walk hand -- what kind information.
Can that give the investigators that he is key here and look sort of what sort of information -- and -- the medical examiner.
Bring to parents that may help the media that.
The one thing that I think that the doctor carver is already a given -- parents is that.
One's the -- went inside of shooting.
At that time these children -- out of pain and suffering within.
Less than a minute too so whatever -- the children hadn't had a lot of Friday.
Was quick and they then once they was shot and with these bullets they were not -- then you -- if they were unconscious immediately.
I think that the medical examiner extracts whatever.
-- ballistics evidence there is from the body that is very important.
For the police and the ballistics -- to hook them up to whatever weapons -- present.
Make sure there isn't another weapon they don't know about.
When it comes to the shooter.
The the findings and medical examiner going to be very important to -- had in the disease process -- to see what his brain looked like and most -- to do the toxicology.
To see -- he was and the any medicines that he was taking.
Or any and drugs of abuse that he took that might contribute to an understanding -- why.
He broke at this time.
Interesting point -- to thank you.
Tried to calm that window when I love you was riding in here I question -- -- and I know that they did this at this school but.
I JD appointees -- -- schools need to star running drills like they do -- in California.
For earthquakes etc.
And whether that might lessen such a tragedy will we know that this school.
Did run such drills and perhaps it did lessen it to some extent.
Is it something that every school is doing and must do it.
Every school in this country is not only running drills but they're also working with emergency responders.
And first responders and how to respond.
Hospitals are doing.
Trauma and triage.
At the same time in case you did have -- situation.
Not necessarily a shooter but if he had an explosion -- you have an unfortunate for unusual occurrence.
At that point in time that everyone would respond and it's got to be is systematic way.
So in this school.
In this small little town they had State -- New York security they had the ability to cause people live and you know you -- anticipate for terrible people doing terrible things everywhere in the country.
Will learn from that's hopefully will be able to glean something that we can pass along to other schools but this should never happen again in this world.
All right.
But Tom what what -- the idea.
Of Amin.
Security gods all having an armed -- at every school in the country it's something that has been raised we're hearing.
About a school district in Pennsylvania that is going to do that now what are your views on that.
Well we know that people or -- -- people -- gonna commit crimes are leery.
Upon attacking a place where they know they're going to be meet resistance we go back to holocaust museum in that incident in Washington about a year plus ago.
We're too warm guards confronted the man trying to get in with a weapon.
One of the guards were shot and killed but I would the other guard was able to kill the person trying to break -- Is it a good idea yet if you feel -- you have the need.
Formed security is not a -- idea it's a whole different discussion.
Relative to performing teachers or administrators and -- school and I think that has to be studied more.
I don't bother to come back to -- We -- as I said we are awaiting the first of the two funerals today.
If it's a terrible.
Move -- with the parents.
Waiting to get the body all of that child back how quickly can the medical -- a look in this in terms of doing the work with so many victims well I think what the Connecticut medical -- -- his dead.
Is they work 24 hours around the clock.
And were able -- From what the reports have been to have completed their investigation of all of the children.
And returned them to the funeral homes and also the adults except for the mom.
And -- traders.
Who are I believe still at the medical Examiner's office.
We -- -- doing whatever further chemicals studies they have to do and whatever microscopic studies that have to do.
But they weren't very quickly I was very important because.
The families want to get the loved ones back as soon as possible making funeral arrangements.
And between.
Over the weekend.
There were able to do it so I think that a lot of credit has to go to would back -- in the medical -- there.
The working beyond.
Than normal eight hour shift -- working 24 hours.
And completing their.
Autopsy -- which had to be done on all of the victims.
